Shares of many of the leading PIPCOs (public IP licensing companies) significantly under-performed the leading markets indices in 2017, with only a couple showing gains.

Despite annual increases of around 20% for the S&P 500 index and 29% for the NASDAQ composite index, IP CloseUp 30® companies were down for the most part, some by more than 40%..

The PIPX composite index of 13 PIPCOs, which IP CloseUp has run quarterly for the past two years, is no longer being prepared.

“I’m going to stop doing the index,” Dr. Kevin Klein, its founder, wrote to IP CloseUp in an email. “The performance of the companies has not been good, several are going private, changing their business models, and/or issuing additional stock so keeping the index coherent is getting to be a challenge.”

Negative Trend

Acacia Research Corp(ACTG), started the year at $6.70 and ended it at $4.05. Its market capitalization is currently $210 million. Finjan (FNJN) began in January at $1.35 and closed at about $2.24, up 82%. Its market cap is around $62 million. Finjan has survived multiple inter partes reviews.

ACTG, FNJN, NTIP, QTRH, RMBS and XPER stock comparison for 2017

Network-1 Technologies(NTIP), a solid performer until an adverse district court decision this year, dropped from $3.45 to $2.35, down 28%. Its market cap remains around $57 million. Quarterhill (QTRH), formerly WiLAN, dropped from $2.32 to $1.82. Market value is $220 million.

A larger player, with a $1.5 billion capitalization, Rambus(RMBS), finished the year at $14.30, up slightly from $13.80. However, Xperi, the former Tessera (XPER), saw its shares drop from $44.95 to $24.70, down 44%.

Some attribute the poor PIPCO performance to the passage of the America Invents Act, adverse decisions by the courts and weak demand for patent licensing because of diminished litigation threat. There were, however, momentary bright spots throughout the year for some of these companies’ shares, but, on the whole, 2017 was not a good year, even for larger and historically better performing PIPCOs. With a new Director of the USPTO and fairer PTAB 2018 will hopefully be better.

The PIPX public IP licensing company stock index came back down to earth in the first quarter of 2017.

For Q1 the PIPX index was down 8.7% after being up 11.2% and 20.4% in Q3 and Q4 2016. This compares to an up 5.5% quarter for the S&P 500.

The change in value of the component companies over Q4, range from 61.4% for Wi-Lan (WILN) to -40.7 for Marathon (MARA), Xperi (XPER) (formerly Teserra) experienced a 23.2% decline in its share. Finjan (FNJN), whose market cap does not currently qualify it for the Index, and sells cybersecurity products as well as engages in patent licensing, was 54% in the quarter.

Fewer companies are now responsible for the bulk of the performance, as size becomes even greater factor in this capitalization-weighted index and as the value of some companies lags.

After outperforming the S&P 500 in Q3 and Q4 2016, Q1 saw the PIPX decrease, but not as dramatically as in previous quarters. The value of $1 invested in the S&P 500 in Q3 2011 would now be $1.76 while the value of the same $1 invested in the PIPX would be $0.69.

Q1, gains in RPX (RPXC), which named a new CEO, and Wi-Lan shares represented substantially all the positive movement in the index, and was heavily outweighed by large decreases in valuation at Acacia (ACTG), Rambus (RMBS),InterDigital (IDCC), and Xperi carrying the index to a substantial loss.

“InterDigital, Xperi, and Rambus continue to make up the lions share of the index because of their market cap,” said Dr. Kevin Klein, Vice President and GM of Products and Licensing at VORAGO Technologies, who compiled the IP stock performance data for IP CloseUp.

“These three companies accounted for 37% of the total value of the index at the inception in 2011, today they make up over 80% of the total value of the index. InterDigital alone now accounts for over 40%, up from 15% at inception.”

One of the leading public IP licensing companies, or PIPCOs, Tessera Holding Corporation, has changed its name to Xperi Corporation, an indication that it has altered its direction.

The renaming is an apparent effort to place more emphasis on new lines of business outside of patent licensing after acquiring DTS, as well as facilitate the company’s lagging stock price. Tessera reported disappointing results that surprised Wall Street in late February.

The name change was announced on February 22. On February 23 Tessera/Xperi reported that it had missed its Q4 earningsby $.25 per share.

Stalling Stalwart?

Tessera (TSRA), InterDigital (IDCC) and Rambus (RMBS) have been the lead players among PIPCOs, with industry-leading market values of $2.2B, $2.9B and $1.4B respectively.

Following the weak earnings release, share of the leading chip packaging and interconnect solutions provider slipped more than 13% in the after-hours trading. Over the past year, shares of Tessera Technologies underperformed the Zacks categorized Electronics Manufacturing Machinery industry. While the industry gained 27.66%, the stock generated a loss of 2.13%.

TSRA was 44.65 on February 22 with approximately $2.2B market cap. XPER is 35.55 on March 2 with a $1.7B valuation. A 2015 article the investment weekly Barron’s questioned how Tessera accounted for “recurring” revenues, which the publication said were really patent litigation settlements paid out over time, not royalty income.

“2016 was a transformational year with the combination of Tessera and DTS, which today we are excited to have rebranded as Xperi, reflecting our new vision of bringing together digital and physical experiences in smart, connected and personalized ways,” said Tom Lacey, Chief Executive Officer.

Acquisition of an Acquisition

On September 20 Tessera Holding announced its $850 million deal to acquire DTS, a premier audio solutions provider for mobile, home, and automotive markets. Only a year or so before that DTS entered into an agreement to acquire HD Radio developeriBiquity Digital Corp.

“We invent smart sight and sound technologies that enhance and help to transform the human connected experience.”

On February 8, 2016 Tessera’s shares were $26.57. They reached $44.74 on December 12, and excellent year by any standard, but closed flat at $44.65 on February 22. Since then its shares are down by $9 or about 20%.

On Yahoo! Finance, TSRA, the old stock symbol, shows the price of shares at the close of the session on February 22. A Google search of TSRA takes you to the new stock symbol for the company, XPER, which shows an end of Friday price of $35.10.

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About Bruce Berman

Bruce is a long-time IP observer, adviser and editor, who is in close close contact with the leading owners and influencers. He tracks latest trends and developments, and monitors transactions, strategy and performance.

Since 1988 Bruce has been working with IP holders, managers and lawyers, as well as investors, to convey value to the right audiences. In 2016 he founded the Center for IP Understanding, an independent non-profit, www.understandingip.org.

Bruce is responsible for five books, including the best-seller "From Ideas to Assets." He has written The Intangible Investor column for IAM Magazine since 2003. For his full bio, visit www.brodyberman.com or click below.